BloggingStocks http://www.bloggingstocks.com BloggingStocks http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/media/feedlogo.gif BloggingStocks http://www.bloggingstocks.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[U.S. economy now five million jobs below full employment]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/03/09/u-s-economy-now-five-million-jobs-below-full-employment/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/03/09/u-s-economy-now-five-million-jobs-below-full-employment/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/03/09/u-s-economy-now-five-million-jobs-below-full-employment/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

The number "5 million" doesn't seem like much in a world of billions and trillions.

But it's a lot when you're talking about the U.S. job market. That's because five million represents the number of jobs the U.S. economy would have to create to achieve what the U.S. Department of Labor calls "full employment."

Continue reading U.S. economy now five million jobs below full employment

U.S. economy now five million jobs below full employment originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 09 Mar 2009 12:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>featuredgdpjobsU.S. economyU.S. Labor DepartmentU.s.Economyunemploymentunemployment rateMon, 09 Mar 2009 12:10:00 EST<![CDATA[The song remains the same, regarding U.S. jobless claims]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/02/12/the-song-remains-the-same-regarding-u-s-jobless-claims/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/02/12/the-song-remains-the-same-regarding-u-s-jobless-claims/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/02/12/the-song-remains-the-same-regarding-u-s-jobless-claims/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Well, at least the U.S. Senate passed the fiscal stimulus package this week, because there was no statistically-significant improvement in U.S. jobless claims, according to the U.S. Labor Department announced Thursday. Claims remained above the troubling 600,000 level.

Initial jobless claims fell 8,000 to 623,000 for the week ending February 7. Claims for the previous week were revised to 631,000.

Initial jobless claims remain more than 90% higher than they were a year ago, as companies continue to cut employees amid falling demand.

Economists surveyed by Bloomberg News had expected this week's initial jobless claims to total 610,000. The 4-week moving average also rose 24,000 to 607,500.

Continue reading The song remains the same, regarding U.S. jobless claims

The song remains the same, regarding U.S. jobless claims originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 12 Feb 2009 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>continuing claimsfeaturedinthenewsjobless claimsU.S. Labor DepartmentunemploymentThu, 12 Feb 2009 09:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Tell-tale stat: States' unemployment compensation funds running low]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/02/11/tell-tale-stat-states-unemployment-compensation-funds-running/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/02/11/tell-tale-stat-states-unemployment-compensation-funds-running/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/02/11/tell-tale-stat-states-unemployment-compensation-funds-running/#commentsFiled under: , ,

It's a sign of the times: an increasing number of states are running out of money to pay unemployment compensation benefits.

Seven states have already depleted their employment insurance trust funds, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSC). Another 11 states are in danger of running out of money by the end of 2009.

What's more, states have borrowed $2.3 billion in emergency money from the U.S. government - - money that must be paid back - - to pay for unemployment compensation.

Continue reading Tell-tale stat: States' unemployment compensation funds running low

Tell-tale stat: States' unemployment compensation funds running low originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 11 Feb 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>continuing claimsfull employmentinthenewsjobsNational Conference of State LegislaturesU.S. Labor Departmentunemploymentunemployment compensationunemployment ratesWed, 11 Feb 2009 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Ray of Light: U.S. corporate, worker productivity continues to rise]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/02/06/ray-of-light-u-s-corporate-worker-productivity-continues-to-r/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/02/06/ray-of-light-u-s-corporate-worker-productivity-continues-to-r/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/02/06/ray-of-light-u-s-corporate-worker-productivity-continues-to-r/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

These days, most investors, executives, and economists know that there's no shortage of unpleasant news regarding the U.S. economy.

Moreover, some days it's hard to find those bright spots that we know exist amid the the snow storm of the recession. Here's one: U.S. worker productivity.

Underscoring that while there are no positives to job layoffs -- each job loss is a tragedy -- citizens and investors can at least point to the fact that the U.S. workforce is becoming more productive, and corporate efficiency is improving.

Continue reading Ray of Light: U.S. corporate, worker productivity continues to rise

Ray of Light: U.S. corporate, worker productivity continues to rise originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 06 Feb 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>earningsefficiencyfeaturedgdpglobal economyglobalizationinnovationlabor costsproductivitytechnologyU.S. economyU.S. Labor Departmentunit labor costsworker productivityFri, 06 Feb 2009 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Traders preparing for another 'hang on to your hat' Friday ]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/02/05/traders-preparing-for-another-hang-on-to-your-hat-friday/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/02/05/traders-preparing-for-another-hang-on-to-your-hat-friday/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/02/05/traders-preparing-for-another-hang-on-to-your-hat-friday/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

It looks like tomorrow could very well become yet another "hang on to your hat Friday" or another edition of "As The U.S. Economy Turns."

Still, hopefully it won't become another 'down goes the Dow' day with an extended visit from our old friend, you guessed it, Dow 8,000. But analysts and economists haven't ruled the latter out.

The reason? The January 2009 jobs report, to be released by the U.S. Labor Department at 8:30 a.m. EST.

Following nearly a week in which a Fortune 500 company announced a major downsizing daily, and on the heels of December 2008's loss of 524,000 jobs, most professionals in economics and public policy circles are preparing for another sobering jobs report.

Continue reading Traders preparing for another 'hang on to your hat' Friday

Traders preparing for another 'hang on to your hat' Friday originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 05 Feb 2009 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bailout billbanking sectorbearsbullsfiscal stimulus packageinthenewsjobsrescue billU.S. Labor Departmentunemploymentunemployment rateThu, 05 Feb 2009 18:30:00 EST<![CDATA[So far, despite Fed, congressional actions, inflation remains tame]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/02/05/so-far-despite-fed-congressional-actions-inflation-remains-ta/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/02/05/so-far-despite-fed-congressional-actions-inflation-remains-ta/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/02/05/so-far-despite-fed-congressional-actions-inflation-remains-ta/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Inflation -- the bane of earnings -- must always be watched, lest it rob the nation of return on investment.

Further, while the inflation hawks have been out in force, given the U.S.'s likely, record fiscal stimulus package and the Federal Reserve's doubling of its balance sheet, so far inflation remains tame.

Unit labor costs -- a key gauge of inflation, and one the Fed watches closely -- rose at a 1.8% annualized rate in Q4 2008, the U.S. Labor Department announced Thursday. Meanwhile, productivity in Q4 2008 rose at a 3.2% annualized rate.

Productivity measures output per hour worked. Economists say rising productivity usually leads to increases in income, as businesses can increase salaries/wages paid without increasing their per unit costs.

Continue reading So far, despite Fed, congressional actions, inflation remains tame

So far, despite Fed, congressional actions, inflation remains tame originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 05 Feb 2009 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>inflationinthenewsproductivityU.S. economyU.S. Labor Departmentunit labor costsworker productivityThu, 05 Feb 2009 12:45:00 EST<![CDATA[U.S. initial jobless claims surge to 626,000 ]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/02/05/u-s-initial-jobless-claims-surge-to-626-000/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/02/05/u-s-initial-jobless-claims-surge-to-626-000/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/02/05/u-s-initial-jobless-claims-surge-to-626-000/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Yet another difficult data point for the U.S. economy: initial jobless claims surged 35,000 to 626,000 for the week ending January 31, the U.S. Labor Department announced Thursday, as companies continued to cut employees amid falling demand.

Initial jobless claims are now more than 90% higher than they were a year ago.

Meanwhile, continuing claims rose 20,000 to a another record: 4.88 million. It was the highest continuing claims level since record keeping for the statistic began in 1967, the U.S. Labor Department said.

Continue reading U.S. initial jobless claims surge to 626,000

U.S. initial jobless claims surge to 626,000 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 05 Feb 2009 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>continuing claimseconomyfeaturedfederal reserveFederalReservejobless claimsobamathe fedTheFedU.S. Labor DepartmentunemploymentThu, 05 Feb 2009 09:15:00 EST<![CDATA[U.S. continuing unemployment claims rise to record 4.78 million]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/01/29/u-s-continuing-unemployment-claims-rise-to-record-4-78-million/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/01/29/u-s-continuing-unemployment-claims-rise-to-record-4-78-million/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/01/29/u-s-continuing-unemployment-claims-rise-to-record-4-78-million/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The key stat is this week's U.S. unemployment data. Continuing claims, which rose 159,000 to a record 4.78 million Americans.

It was the highest continuing claims level since record keeping for the statistic began in 1967, the U.S. Labor Department announced Thursday.

Economists note that the high continuing claims level reflects labor market stress, and the long time it takes for those downsized to find comparable employment. Few companies are filling vacancies, many major corporations have announced large lay-offs, and even temporary work assignments are declining, another negative sign for the labor market.

Continue reading U.S. continuing unemployment claims rise to record 4.78 million

U.S. continuing unemployment claims rise to record 4.78 million originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 29 Jan 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>continuing claimsinthenewsjobsU.S. economyU.S. Labor Departmentunemploymentunemployment rateThu, 29 Jan 2009 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[All 50 U.S. states saw increases in unemployment in December]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/01/28/all-50-u-s-states-saw-increases-in-unemployment-in-december/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/01/28/all-50-u-s-states-saw-increases-in-unemployment-in-december/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/01/28/all-50-u-s-states-saw-increases-in-unemployment-in-december/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

When times are bad, and the news is bad, business journalists are frequently accused of being 'so negative' or publishing 'only bad news.'

When times are good, and the news is good, business journalists are frequently accused of being a propaganda organ for the current U.S. president, or Congress.

Lately, the former charge has been en vogue, amid the U.S. recession, and a recent survey by the U.S. Labor Department does not provide encouragement for a reversal: the department found that all 50 states in the U.S. registered an increase in their unemployment rate in December 2008, The Associated Press reported.

Continue reading All 50 U.S. states saw increases in unemployment in December

All 50 U.S. states saw increases in unemployment in December originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gdpjob cutsU.S. economyU.S. Labor DepartmentunemploymentWed, 28 Jan 2009 13:45:00 EST<![CDATA[U.S. weekly jobless claims approach 600k, now up 82% from year ago]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/01/22/u-s-weekly-jobless-claims-approach-600k-now-up-82-from-year-a/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/01/22/u-s-weekly-jobless-claims-approach-600k-now-up-82-from-year-a/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/01/22/u-s-weekly-jobless-claims-approach-600k-now-up-82-from-year-a/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

No doubt Labor Department statisticians and media relations pros would love to release more pleasant news regarding jobless claims. But alas, they can't, if the job survey indicates otherwise.

U.S. weekly jobless claims approached 600k, rising 62,000 to 589,000 for the week ending January 17, the U.S. Labor Department announced Thursday. Equally distressing: weekly claims are now an astounding 82% higher than the same period a year ago.

Economists surveyed by Bloomberg News had expected this week's initial jobless claims to total 524,000. Claims for the previous week were revised to 519,250.

Also, continuing claims rose 97,000 to 4.607 million from last week's revised total of 4.51 million. Economists note that the high continuing claims level reflects labor market stress, and the long time it takes for those downsized to find comparable employment. Few companies are filling vacancies, and even temporary work assignments are declining, another negative sign for the labor market.

Continue reading U.S. weekly jobless claims approach 600k, now up 82% from year ago

U.S. weekly jobless claims approach 600k, now up 82% from year ago originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 22 Jan 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>continuing claimsinthenewsjobless claimsU.S. Labor DepartmentunemploymentThu, 22 Jan 2009 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[U.S. records lowest yearly inflation since 1954]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/01/16/u-s-records-lowest-yearly-inflation-since-1954/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/01/16/u-s-records-lowest-yearly-inflation-since-1954/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/01/16/u-s-records-lowest-yearly-inflation-since-1954/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Worried about inflation? Cross that concern off your list, at least for the immediate quarters ahead.

Inflation at the consumer level remains lame, after consumer prices fell 0.7% in December 2008, the U.S. Labor Department announced Friday, driven lower by an 8.3% plunge in energy prices and an 0.1% decline in food prices.

Even more important, for the year, consumer prices increased a minuscule 0.1% -- the consumer price index's smallest increase since 1954, when the CPI increased 0.7%.

Economists surveyed by Bloomberg News had expected consumer prices to decrease 0.9% in December 2008, and 0.2% for all of 2008.

Economist David H. Wang told BloggingStocks Friday that even though massive amounts of dollars are being added to the U.S. economy via monetary policy and various stimulus packages, investors have to remember an enormous amount of money has been destroyed as a result of the financial crisis and the U.S. recession.

Continue reading U.S. records lowest yearly inflation since 1954

U.S. records lowest yearly inflation since 1954 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 16 Jan 2009 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>consumer price indexCPIinflationinthenewsU.S. Labor DepartmentFri, 16 Jan 2009 10:15:00 EST<![CDATA[U.S. now has 3.8 job seekers for every job vacancy ]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/01/13/u-s-now-has-3-8-job-seekers-for-every-job-vacancy/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/01/13/u-s-now-has-3-8-job-seekers-for-every-job-vacancy/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/01/13/u-s-now-has-3-8-job-seekers-for-every-job-vacancy/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Yet another ignominious statistic to close out the nation's decade of descent. The United States now has 3.8 job seekers for every job vacancy, the U.S. Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics announced Tuesday.

What's more, the 3.8 job seeker stat in November 2008 is more than double the 1.8 job seekers per job vacancy stat recorded a year ago, in November 2007. The nation had 3.4 job seekers per vacancy in the previous month, October 2008.

Stat echos 1981-82 Reagan recession

Economist David H. Wang said the large increase in the job seeker to vacancy ratio is bad news for the U.S. economy.

"These ratios are reminiscent of the Reagan recession [1981-1082], which was a bad recession, with unemployment rising above 10%," Wang said. "The large and increasing number of unemployed adults unable to find employment will substantially increase social service costs in the states, and lead to a host of other economic problems, including a continuance of a high number of home foreclosures."

Continue reading U.S. now has 3.8 job seekers for every job vacancy

U.S. now has 3.8 job seekers for every job vacancy originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 13 Jan 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>augmented unemploymentgdpinthenewsjobsU.S. economyU.S. Labor Departmentunemploymentunemployment rateTue, 13 Jan 2009 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA['Horrible' jobless claims level remains at 26-year high]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/01/08/horrible-jobless-claims-level-remainat-26-year-high/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/01/08/horrible-jobless-claims-level-remainat-26-year-high/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/01/08/horrible-jobless-claims-level-remainat-26-year-high/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

There's an upside / downside to this week's jobless claims data.

While U.S. weekly jobless claims actually fell 24,000 to 467,000, the total still is more than 40% higher than a year ago.

Meanwhile, continuing claims rose another 101,000 to 4.61 million -- the highest continuing claims total since December 1982. Economists note that the high continuing claims level reflects labor market stress, and the long time it takes for those downsized to find comparable employment. Few companies are filling vacancies, and even alternate and temporary work assignments are declining -- another negative sign for the labor market.

Economist Peter Dawson called the continuing claims level "horrible, indicative of extremely weak job creation conditions. The continuing claims level is approaching Reagan era recession totals, which was a bad recession."

Continue reading 'Horrible' jobless claims level remains at 26-year high

'Horrible' jobless claims level remains at 26-year high originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 08 Jan 2009 09:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>continuing claimsfeaturedjobless claimsU.S. Labor DepartmentunemploymentThu, 08 Jan 2009 09:05:00 EST<![CDATA[Little change in recession-level jobless claims]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/18/little-change-in-recession-level-jobless-claims/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/18/little-change-in-recession-level-jobless-claims/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/18/little-change-in-recession-level-jobless-claims/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

U.S. weekly jobless claims fell 21,000 to 554,000, the U.S. Labor Department announed Thursday, but economist Peter Dawson said the sticker is the elevated overall total.

"Any level above 500,000 is a recessionary total, and unfortunately, the 6-month outlook for a drop below that level is not promising," Dawson said.

Economists surveyed by Bloomberg News had expected this week's initial jobless claims to total 560,000. Claims for the previous week were revised to 575,000.

In addition, the 4-week moving average rose 2,750 to 543,750. Economists view the 4-week average as a better indicator of unemployment conditions, as it smooths-out anomalies for strikes, holidays, or other idiosyncratic events.

Continue reading Little change in recession-level jobless claims

Little change in recession-level jobless claims originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 18 Dec 2008 10:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>inthenewsjobless claimsU.S. economyU.S. Labor DepartmentunemploymentThu, 18 Dec 2008 10:55:00 EST<![CDATA[Tell-tale stat: 4 million continuing U.S. unemployment claims]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/11/20/tell-tale-stat-4-million-continuing-u-s-unemployment-claims/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/11/20/tell-tale-stat-4-million-continuing-u-s-unemployment-claims/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/11/20/tell-tale-stat-4-million-continuing-u-s-unemployment-claims/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

What's the most-riveting statistic in this week's jobless claims report? Continuing claims, which surpassed 4 million for the first time.

Continuing claims rose 109,000 in the week ended November 8. Economists pay close attention to continuing claims because it provides them with a comprehensive indicator of long-term job market conditions.

Continuing claims have risen more than 45% in the past year, which is not good news for job aspirants or for corporate revenue and earnings moving forward, so says economist Peter Dawson.

"The 4 million continuing claims total means those laid off are having a hard time finding suitable, comparable employment. There are very few jobs available, which is the major reason behind the rise in the unemployment rate," Dawson said. "Further, without falling continuing claims, it's really hard for corporate revenue and earnings to increase, and of course the stock market's low level reflects this."

Meanwhile, U.S. initial jobless claims rose 27,000 to 542,000 for the week ended November 15, the U.S. Labor Department said. Claims for the previous week were revised to 515,000. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg News had expected this week's initial jobless claims to total 505,000.

Continue reading Tell-tale stat: 4 million continuing U.S. unemployment claims

Tell-tale stat: 4 million continuing U.S. unemployment claims originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 20 Nov 2008 09:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>inthenewsjobless claimsU.S. economyU.S. Labor DepartmentunemploymentThu, 20 Nov 2008 09:55:00 EST<![CDATA[Aren't stocks cheap now? Yes, but... ]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/11/13/arent-stocks-cheap-now-yes-but/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/11/13/arent-stocks-cheap-now-yes-but/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/11/13/arent-stocks-cheap-now-yes-but/#commentsFiled under: , ,

One hears the mantra almost daily, often from friends and relatives:

Aren't stocks cheap? Look at those low P/Es! GE is at $15 a share, Intel below $14, Du Pont at about $27. My goodness, the Dow is down to 8,200. Isn't now a good time to buy stocks?

It is, if you believe the Dow is forming a bottom and/or that the worst of the financial crisis is behind us, and the U.S. economy is set to recover.

However, the alternate viewpoint argues that the Dow has not bottomed, could very well fall another 1,000 points, with panic selling (known as 'capitulation' in Wall Street circles) taking the Dow to levels well below that, at least for a short period of time, possibly longer.

Hence, purchasing shares for the first time now (or adding to existing positions) given the latter scenario would create an immediate 10% loss, or possibly more.

Monitor corporate earnings and job growth

What's a better tack to take concerning when to buy more shares? Monitor U.S. corporate earnings and job growth.

Continue reading Aren't stocks cheap now? Yes, but...

Aren't stocks cheap now? Yes, but... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 13 Nov 2008 13:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bear marketbull marketcapitulationcorporate earningsDJIADowearningsearnings estimateearnings guidanceinthenewsjob creationjobspeprice per earningsU.S. Labor DepartmentThu, 13 Nov 2008 13:46:00 EST<![CDATA[Jobless claims dip, but continuing claims hit 25-year high]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/11/06/jobless-claims-dip-but-continuing-claims-hit-25-year-high/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/11/06/jobless-claims-dip-but-continuing-claims-hit-25-year-high/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/11/06/jobless-claims-dip-but-continuing-claims-hit-25-year-high/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

U.S. initial jobless claims dipped during the most-recent reported week, but continuing claims hit a 25-year high -- a statistic that underscores the scope of the nation's job slump.

U.S. initial jobless claims fell 4,000 to 481,000 for the week ended November 1, the U.S. Labor Department announced Thursday. Claims for the previous week were revised to 485,000. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg News had expected this week's initial jobless claims to total 480,000.

However, continuing claims hit a 25-year high, rising 122,000 to 3.84 million for the week ended October 25. In addition, the 4-week moving average remained the same at 477,000. Economists view the 4-week average as a better indicator of unemployment conditions than initial claims, as it smooths-out anomalies for strikes, holidays, or other idiosyncratic events.

Economist Peter Dawson said rising continuing claims, which have increased about 46% in the past year, underscore job market conditions in the current recession.

"Layoffs proceed, but they're not enormous, so far. But there is no net job growth. In layman's terms, there are very few jobs available, it's hard to find employment once you've been downsized, and the continuing claims total is a direct indicator of that," Dawson said.

Continue reading Jobless claims dip, but continuing claims hit 25-year high

Jobless claims dip, but continuing claims hit 25-year high originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 06 Nov 2008 09:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>continuing claimsfeaturedinthenewsjobless claimsjobsU.S. Labor DepartmentunemploymentThu, 06 Nov 2008 09:40:00 EST<![CDATA[Initial jobless claims rise; U.S. economic fundamentals remain weak]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/10/23/initial-jobless-claims-rise-u-s-economic-fundamentals-remain-w/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/10/23/initial-jobless-claims-rise-u-s-economic-fundamentals-remain-w/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/10/23/initial-jobless-claims-rise-u-s-economic-fundamentals-remain-w/#commentsFiled under: , ,

U.S. initial jobless claims remained at elevated levels, even after factoring-out the remaining effect of Hurricane Ike in Texas, the U.S. Labor Department announced Thursday.

U.S. initial jobless claims rose 15,000 to 478,000 for the week ended October 18. However, without hurricane-related claims for Hurricane Ike, filings would have totaled about 466,000. Claims for the previous week were revised to 463,000.

Economists surveyed by Bloomberg News had expected this week's initial jobless claims to total 470,000.

Also, the 4-week moving average decreased 4,500 to 480,250. Economists view the 4-week average as a better indicator of unemployment conditions, as it smooths-out anomalies for strikes, holidays, or other idiosyncratic events.

Economist Peter Dawson said "job losses continue to occur at a large and concerning rate, even after taking into consideration the act-of-nature event of Hurricane Ike."

"We have an economy whose fundamentals are definitely not sound. The housing sector remains in a severe slump, financial service layoffs and consolidation obviously will continue, and business investment is low," Dawson said. "Exports are about the only positive data point remaining for the economy, but that is likely to come under pressure, given the tightening of borrowing conditions, globally. The United States has to find or create a growth catalyst, to get this economy moving again."

Continue reading Initial jobless claims rise; U.S. economic fundamentals remain weak

Initial jobless claims rise; U.S. economic fundamentals remain weak originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 23 Oct 2008 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>continuing claimsinthenewsjobless claimsjobsU.S. economyU.S. Labor DepartmentThu, 23 Oct 2008 10:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Very poor September jobs report as employers' belt-tightening continues]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/10/03/very-poor-september-jobs-report-as-employers-belt-tightening-co/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/10/03/very-poor-september-jobs-report-as-employers-belt-tightening-co/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/10/03/very-poor-september-jobs-report-as-employers-belt-tightening-co/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

The U.S. economy lost another 159,000 jobs in September, as companies in the world's largest economy continued to cut expenses to protect profits in the face of the economic slowdown. It was the largest monthly job loss in five years.

However, U.S. Labor Department officials cautioned that the September job loss total was skewed artificially higher by Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, which resulted in more job losses in the Gulf States region. Further, the unemployment rate remained the same at 6.1% in September, the Labor Department said.

However, an alternate gauge of unemployment, which includes discouraged workers, rose to 11% in September from 10.7% in August. The conventional U.S. Labor Department unemployment rate does not include discouraged workers because they are not technically 'seeking work.' Still, some economists argue the discouraged metric is a more-accurate gauge of unemployment, contending that these discouraged workers would accept jobs if the positions were available.

Also, the number of adults working part-time because no full-time job was available increased by 337,000 to 6.1 million in September.

Economists surveyed by Bloomberg News had expected the U.S. economy to shed 100,000 jobs in September. September was the U.S. economy's tenth straight monthly job loss. The U.S. economy lost a revised 73,000 jobs in August and 67,000 in July. Further, the U.S. economy has now lost 760,000 jobs this year and more than 800,000 since the job slump started in late 2007.

Continue reading Very poor September jobs report as employers' belt-tightening continues

Very poor September jobs report as employers' belt-tightening continues originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 03 Oct 2008 09:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Hurricane GustavHurricane Ikeinthenewsjobsnonfarm payrollNonfarmPayrollU.S. economyU.S. Labor Departmentunemployment rateFri, 03 Oct 2008 09:45:00 EST<![CDATA[U.S. jobless claims -- a 'troubling rate' of job losses]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/10/02/u-s-jobless-claims-a-troubling-rate-of-job-losses/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/10/02/u-s-jobless-claims-a-troubling-rate-of-job-losses/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/10/02/u-s-jobless-claims-a-troubling-rate-of-job-losses/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

U.S. initial jobless claims remain at elevated levels, even after factoring out the effect of Hurricanes Gustav in Louisiana and Hurricane Ike in Texas, the U.S. Labor Department announced Thursday.

U.S. initial jobless claims rose 1,000 to 497,000 for the week ended September 27 -- the highest level in seven years -- the Labor Department said. Without the hurricane-related claims, initial filings would have totaled about 439,000, the department said. Claims for the previous week were revised 3,000 higher to 496,000. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg News had expected this week's initial jobless claims to total 475,000.

Also, the 4-week moving average increased 11,500 to 474,000. Economists view the 4-week average as a better indicator of unemployment conditions, as it smooths-out anomalies for strikes, holidays, or other idiosyncratic events.

Economist Peter Dawson said "job losses continue to occur at a troubling rate, even after taking into consideration the act-of-nature events of Hurricanes Gustav and Ike."

"We have an economy whose fundamentals are definitely not sound. The housing sector remains in a severe slump, financial service layoffs and consolidation obviously will continue, and business investment is low," Dawson said. "Exports are about the only positive data point remaining for the economy, but that too may come under pressure if global growth slows."

Continue reading U.S. jobless claims -- a 'troubling rate' of job losses

U.S. jobless claims -- a 'troubling rate' of job losses originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 02 Oct 2008 11:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>continuing claimsfeaturedgdpGustavHurricane GustavHurricane IkeIkejobless claimsjobsU.S. economyU.S. Labor DepartmentunemploymentThu, 02 Oct 2008 11:11:00 EST